Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations, Senator Wong. Can the minister outline for the Senate the government’s progress in developing its new, fair and flexible workplace relations system? Is the minister aware of any impediments to its implementation?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Collins for the question. As this chamber would be aware, the latest milestone in the government’s implementation of its new, fair and flexible workplace relations system is the National Employment Standards, which were announced by the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister this week.

This is another milestone in the development of a new, fair and balanced workplace relations system, delivering on yet another Rudd Labor government commitment, a commitment we made to the Australian people prior to the election. I have previously spoken in this place about the issues that are covered in these standards, which include maximum hours of work, the right to request flexible work arrangements, parental leave, annual leave, personal leave, community service leave, long service, public holidays, notice of termination and redundancy and a fair work information statement.

I am asked by Senator Collins about any impediments to the delivery of these election commitments and a fair and flexible workplace relations system that the Australian people voted for at the last election. The major impediment is those who sit opposite, the Liberal opposition who, we know, are still committed to Work Choices—they cannot help themselves. We know that if they were in government they would still be pressing that extreme industrial relations framework that was rejected by the Australian people at the last election. So the key question for the Liberal opposition is: will they so arrogantly delay the development of the government’s new workplace relations system, just as they are doing with this budget? For a party that say they are a party of economic management, we see them in this place blocking budget measures, delaying budget measures with no regard for the fact that this will be a $284 million hit on the budget bottom line. That is what the Liberal opposition are engaging in.

So the question for them is whether they intend to take this sort of obstructionist and delaying approach that we are coming to expect of them in respect of these National Employment Standards. We hope the opposition will finally come to the view that this government is entitled to deliver on its election commitments, of which these National Employment Standards are one and of which this budget is one. This budget delivers on election commitments which were put to the people at the last election and, equally, these National Employment Standards are an election commitment that this government is intent on delivering upon. We promised before the last election we would deliver a new, fair and balanced workplace relations system and we say to the Liberal opposition: pass the budget and pass these standards through the parliament.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.